Grippers for bottles or other containers in filling installations are known in various designs, for example from utility models DE 297 13 510 U or DE 20 2006 018 379 U1, in which with intermediate positioning of a swivel joint, an actuating end is assigned to each gripper end of both gripper arms, between which e.g. an eccentric cam or similar is pivot-mounted, in order thus to effect an open position and a closed position respectively. Deformable plastic gripper arms are known from DE 20 2006 004 641, but these do not have their own drive for active movement.